'Lonely Planet' review: A Netflix film features two actors you just love getting along in a destination you just love

When Laura Dern's Katherine Lowe arrives on an all-expenses-paid writing vacation in Morocco in the Netflix travel romance Lonely Planet, she's overwhelmed by the accommodations, and so are we.

“Oh…wow, oh God,” says Katherine as she enters her expansive room in the magnificently decorated kasbah, which offers breathtaking views from its hilltop. Over the next few days, a small group of writers from around the world will enjoy lazy afternoons in the pool, sumptuous meals, premium Moroccan hash, cocktail dancing and flirting, and witty repartee. It's like the private island resort in Blink Twice, only without the murderous part. Anyone who has ever written anything will ask themselves: WHERE DO I SIGN UP FOR THIS??

From the opening scene to the entirely expected finale, Lonely Planet is pure romantic-drama escapism. It is so thin that if the original material were in book form, the book would have been a pamphlet. Writer-director Susannah Grant (creator of the Netflix series “Unbelievable” and screenwriter of “Erin Brockovich”) has crafted an old-fashioned, if somewhat unconventional, romance with great actors who do little heavy lifting as they compete against the exotic and historical backdrop of Marrakech.

Dern's Katherine is an acclaimed and critically acclaimed author who is going through a breakup with her partner of 14 years and has come to the retreat hoping to find a place of isolation while she battles writer's block. The problem is that the other authors (who are briefly introduced and then fade into the background for the rest of the story) are here to make some noise and let off steam as only authors can. (At one point they play a spirited guessing game in the living room based on clues from literature, e.g. someone says “the Flaubert heroine” and the group shouts “Madame Bovary, Madame Bovary!”)

Diana Silvers is Lily, whose first book was a surprise hit. For plot reasons and as an excuse for Liam Hemsworth to go out shirtless, Hemsworth's Owen Brophy (he's a brother AND a trophy!), Lily's businessman boyfriend, accompanied Lily on the trip, despite having no interest in the arts whatsoever Interest in the arts doesn't agree with Lily.

Through a series of storylines, Owen and Katherine end up spending a lot of time together, including a road trip full of clichés like the broken car and the interlude with the colorful and warm local family. They're all going through a lot, with Katherine trying to find herself in the middle of a breakup and Owen dealing with a crisis of conscience over a business deal. As Lily becomes more and more dismissive and condescending towards Owen, the kinship Owen has found with Katherine morphs into something more, leading to this line from Katherine: “Be careful there. I could fall in love with a kid like you.” (Perhaps it's the Moroccan setting that makes Katherine talk like Rick from “Casablanca.”)

The chemistry between Dern and Hemsworth is just right, and Katherine and Owen bond so quickly that we feel like there's a real spark between them, even though Katherine has a lot more life experience than Owen and oh yeah, Owen is here as a bonus his girlfriend One. “Lonely Planet” isn’t about exploring anything beneath the surface. It's a serviceable travel romance with two likeable actors.